Chapter 12: The Battle of New York Concludes

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In truth, Luca wanted to say this: since the Ancient One needed the Hex Core, why not just give himself four different magical runes? If convenient, he could even "borrow" a small arc reactor from Tony Stark’s warehouse. That way, he might be able to synthesize the Hex Core on the spot and trade it directly, sparing a great figure like the Ancient One from having to wait so long.

But who would have thought—the Ancient One vanished without a word, without even a greeting.

“These big shots, one after another, are all riddlers!” Luca muttered in his mind. Yet, he did have some guesses as to why the Ancient One wanted the Hex Core.

According to the rules, most sorcerers in the Marvel world do not inherently possess magical power. To cast spells, they must borrow strength from corresponding dimensional demons. Since it’s a loan, repayment is naturally expected. For white magic sources like Vishanti, it’s manageable—no matter how much power is used, it’s just like working off a debt. But if one taps into the power of dark demons like Dormammu, even borrowing a little can corrupt the caster, turning them into mindless puppets.

The Hex Core, at its essence, is an endless source of magical energy. Luca did not know exactly from where it draws power, but with it, perhaps the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj could draw strength to cast spells without having to rely on dimensional demons.

Such an item might be useless to someone like the Ancient One, who has been an eternal debtor, borrowing without returning and even beating up creditors. But for the ordinary sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, it could mean not having to be so stingy with magic use, avoiding the need to turn into muscle-bound melee fighters.

Lost in these musings, Luca glanced once more toward Stark Tower. Unexpectedly, he caught sight of Loki picking up the Tesseract from the ground. Even from a distance, it was clear that the Tesseract in Loki’s hand radiated a bright white light, a glow never before seen on the core components. This white brilliance even seemed to overshadow the Tesseract’s own inherent glow.

Although far away, Luca instinctively took a couple of steps closer. But before he could act, Loki seized the moment when everyone was distracted, swiftly opened a portal, and disappeared.

“Core component, Space Stone, or Tesseract?” Luca wondered. “That level of white light probably means something incredible was synthesized. What a pity.”

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Recalling the sensation from just now, Luca shook his head with resignation and picked up his backpack from the ground.

“After all, it’s something I can’t get my hands on for now. This hot potato will have to wait until I get another chance to see what can be synthesized.”

With his current strength, even if he obtained such a treasure, he would have no power to keep it.

With that thought, he followed the crowd scattering in panic from the Hulk’s rampage, quickly heading back toward his home.

Along the way, Luca contemplated quietly: “Although I decided not to interfere, Loki’s departure means the future has already changed from what I remember. And since this is clearly not the movie universe timeline, I should be careful not to trust the storyline too much going forward.”

At least, in Luca’s memory, Asgard’s Bifrost was still damaged. Thor taking the Tesseract was supposed to repair the Rainbow Bridge. Now, without it, Thor’s travel between Earth and Asgard will become much harder.

Also, in the original Avengers: Endgame, although Captain America returned the stones, he took Loki’s scepter containing the Mind Stone but returned only the Mind Stone itself—this discrepancy is bound to affect the plot.

But with Luca’s current insignificant strength and influence, even if he considered these changes, he was powerless to intervene.

Lost in thoughts about how these factors might alter future events, Luca soon arrived at the foot of his building.

Apart from a few close calls with disaster relief personnel almost taking him to a treatment center, he had encountered no real trouble.

Glancing into the alleyway, he saw no sign of the few Avengers who had returned, so he was about to head upstairs.

At that moment, Luca noticed several medical workers swiftly carrying a stretcher out of the building, closely followed by a strong middle-aged woman—someone he recognized.

“Aunt Samira?”

Luca quickened his pace and called out. The woman he called “Aunt Samira” turned and immediately rushed over, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Master Luca, I thought you might have...”

This woman, Samira Berletskaya, was the Orange family’s driver and bodyguard. She was very close to Luca’s mother, Gina Orange, and was said to have been a battle-hardened female soldier who, for some reason, retired to become a driver.

In Luca’s memory, Aunt Samira had been at his mother’s side since he was very young, with no known family or social ties, making her one of the most trusted people around his parents.

Luca looked past Samira’s shoulder and indeed saw his mother Gina lying on the stretcher.

“Has she not woken up yet? Well, at least the rescue arrived in time—that’s some luck.”

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A pang of guilt struck him for leaving his severely injured and unconscious mother alone at home, but he quickly pushed the feeling aside.

Samira, holding Luca, noticed the look of concern in his eyes as he gazed at the stretcher and wore a face full of pity.

“Sir is already... But fortunately, Master Luca, you’re safe!”

She gently held Luca’s right arm, which no longer had its prosthetic. She had wanted to ask where he had gone earlier, but only pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Seeing this, Luca shook his head slightly.

“I just got lost on the street earlier. How is my mother now?”

Luca knew Samira had probably just rushed over from the company but had seen the medical staff carry Gina onto the stretcher, so she should have some understanding of her condition.

As a veteran soldier, Samira quickly composed herself and explained to Luca.

“She has only a few external injuries, already bandaged. The cause of her unconsciousness is still unknown; we can only wait for more detailed examinations once she reaches the hospital.”

“Fortunately, the owners’ association here is well-organized, and this rescue team was among the quickest available. Whether a private medical team will be needed later depends on the preliminary examination results.”

Luca nodded. Although Manhattan’s attack hit the city center hard and left many buildings damaged and numerous casualties, the Orange family’s luxury apartment was expensive, and most residents held a certain social status.

Therefore, rescue, treatment, and post-disaster rebuilding would be prioritized here.

Moreover, despite the internal troubles at the Orange company, their assets and status remained intact. Even with all New York hospitals overcrowded, Gina would have her own private ward.

Of course, many ordinary victims would likely be treated at temporary medical stations rather than hospitals, given the sheer number of casualties.

“Father...”

“...Sir’s body has already been removed. Disaster control will contact a private medical team for reception.”

“And the company...”

“The downtown area was largely unaffected this time...”

With the exchange of questions and answers, the two boarded an ambulance, heading to the hospital.